


Babylon Presents...

by Minxie



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-07
Updated: 2012-06-07
Packaged: 2017-11-07 03:54:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/426666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minxie/pseuds/Minxie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian arranges a fundraiser for the AIDS Hospice House. Like most of Brian's parties, more happens than anyone could ever plan for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Babylon Presents...

**Author's Note:**

> **Prereader:** @thraceadams and @aislinntlc! Thanks, lovelies!  
>  **Disclaimer:** None of these people are mine. Not a single one. Goddammit.  
>  **AN:** Originally posted [here](http://reds-bday-bash.livejournal.com/6565.html#cutid1) for Red's Birthday Bash!

Herding Justin in front of him, Brian pushes his way into Babylon and, with a final glare over his shoulder, slams the door shut. "What the fuck is with all of the breeders outside?"

A burst of choked off laughter pulls his eyes to the stage. 

"They're Glamberts," one of them, an anomaly of horror tats and big brown eyes, replies.

Pretty sure that Adam introduced them, Brian racks his brain for a name…"Tommy, right?"

"Yeah, Tommy," the kid – _Tommy_ – says, flashing a shy smile.

"And these –" Brian waves a hand through the air "– Glamberts?"

"My fans," Adam says, jumping down from the stage and meeting Brian in the middle of the dance floor. "Loyal and crazy and…"

"Rabid?" Brian interrupts, throwing a frown towards the door. "They do realize you're a fag right?" 

Adam quirks a grin and shrugs. "They come to a lot of my shows." 

"Not this one," Brian says, shaking his head. "Babylon was built for fags, by fags. Last time I let the straight brigade in, the place blew up."

"Brian!" Justin slaps Brian lightly on the arm. "You can't refuse to let people in the door." 

Brian wraps an arm around Justin's shoulder and tugs him close. Whispering in Justin's ear, he says, "Here's a secret, Sunshine. I own this place, so the fuck I can't keep them out." He presses a fast kiss to Justin's temple, and, louder, says, "Most of the tickets went in presale to locals. I made sure of it."

"They won't go away," Adam says.

"I won't let them in," Brian counters.

He's not joking, not even a little bit. Opening the doors to fight Prop 14 had ended in disaster. He doesn't care how safe Adam thinks the Glamberts – Brian can't help rolling his eyes at _that_ particular nickname – are, they'll just have to listen through the walls.

  
**∴**   


Emmett leans against the catwalk and nudges his shoulder against Brian's. "I can't believe you got Adam Lambert here for this."

"I needed his name," Brian says. "The man draws a crowd. And the bigger the crowd, the bigger the check for hospice."

Behind the edge of his glass, Emmett's lips twitch. "Why, Mr. Kinney, I do believe your heart is showing." 

"Better than his dick," Ted mutters. "Which is what we usually see here."

"Now, Theodore," Brian drawls. "It sounds like you've been paying close attention to something you shouldn't. Does Blake know about this habit of yours?"

Ted blushes and splutters, then tips his ginger ale back and takes a small sip.

Everyone else laughs.

Brian smirks, then leans in and kisses Justin. Long and hard. Pulling back, he asks, "Breeders still clogging the street?"

Justin nods. "Yup. They've figured out it's you keeping them from their pursuit. You're not a very popular man out there."

Snorting, Brian looks over the packed dance floor. "Think I give a shit? Place is packed, wall-to-wall fags and dykes. All of them gagging for the illustrious Adam Lambert."

"He _is_ very pretty," Justin says.

"He's an internationally known version of our Auntie Em. Glitter and rainbows and golden-horned unicorns."

Eyes dancing with laughter, Justin says, "Thought you said you didn't fuck him."

"I didn't," Brian retorts, holding back that the thought had crossed his mind more than once.

"And yet you know about his _golden horn_." Justin waggles his eyebrows comically.

Stifling a chuckle, Brian rolls his eyes. "That's it. No more E for you tonight."

Then the lights go down and the spotlight comes up and the club erupts as Adam Lambert takes the stage.

  


**∴**  


When Adam clears the stage and the club fills with the familiar heavy beat of dance music, Brian says, "Not half bad."

"You liked him," Justin says. "It'd be easier for everyone if you just admit that."

"Of course I like him. What's not to like? And even if I didn't like him, I'd respect him. Kid has balls and won't back down. Broken English kind of reminds me of us." Brian drains his beer and pulls Justin closer. "Now, gonna dance with me or do I have to brave the wilds to find my entertainment tonight?"

Justin's retort is cut off before it starts.

"They're coming up here," Emmett squeals, a hand slapping repeatedly against Justin's arm. "The whole band is on the stairs. And, oh my god, his boyfriend _is with him_."

"Christ, Honeycutt, at least act like you have some fucking sense." Brian pushes Emmett onto a nearby stool. "Sit. Until you get _that_ –" Brian waves a hand at Emmett "– under control, stay put."

Brian introduces Adam to the gang and then points to the rest of the group spread out behind Adam. "And these are the pocket people. Adam can give you their names."

Adam bursts out laughing. "Jesus. Brian Kinney, you are an ass."

Canting his head in acknowledgement, Brian smirks. "So I've been told."

  


**∴**  


It takes a lot to surprise Brian. Justin has managed a few times. Michael never has. Linds and Mel only once, when they ran to Canada with his kid. But two, well, mainly one, of Adam's pocket people have managed to leave him silent within hours of meeting.

Tommy, the walking talking incongruity of leather jackets and high-pitched Valley boy speak, is climbing Adam's keyboardist – _Brian_ , not like he could forget that name – like a fucking tree. He really thought the kid was straight. Looking towards Adam, Brian says, "I really thought the kid was straight."

Adam follows his line of sight and grins. "Bendy. Tommy is extremely bendy."

"Bendy?" Brian repeats. "Is that what they're calling it now?"

"He feels comfortable here, otherwise you'd never see that." Adam looks around, eyes narrowed like he's looking for something specific. "I hope no one is taking pictures. Tommy and Brian work hard at keeping their privacy."

"People had to leave their cameras and camera phones at home." Brian shrugs when Adam arches a brow. "You did me a favor, I wanted you to be able to have a good time after. The bonus is I'm going to make a killing on the official DVD, all of it going to the hospice."

"And that's stopping them from sneaking in phones how?"

"Everyone here is getting one copy for free. Your precious little Glamberts will have to buy it." Brian chuckles when Adam tosses his head back and releases a belly laugh. The sound is fucking infectious. "It helps that I told them I'd ban them from Babylon if they're caught with a recording device or if pictures leak afterward."

"I appreciate that," Adam says. "That couldn't have been good for business, though." 

"Look out there," Brian nods towards the dance floor. "I've turned away twice as many as made it in. Even if I end up having to ban a few people, Babylon won't go under." Brian shotguns his beer and asks, "Is the talking portion of this evening over now?"

"Yup," Adam replies. He pushes away from the catwalk and taps his boyfriend – some Finnish name that Brian has no hope in hell of remembering – and says, "Hey, baby, wanna dance?"

They meld together seamlessly, rocking and swaying. It's fucking hot.

Brian idly wonders if that's how it looks when he's dancing with Justin. 

"We're hotter," Justin whispers in his ear. "Way fucking hotter."

"Stop reading my mind," Brian grumbles. "And go find someone to dance with."

  


**∴**  


Brian looks over when the space beside him on the catwalk is invaded. He shouldn't be surprised to see Tommy leaning against the rail, but he is. It makes the second time in a single night the man has managed to shock him. Very few people are so bold as to take Justin's claimed position. At least not after all the years they have behind them. Figures it's one of Adam's entourage.

Arching a brow, Brain says, "Yes?"

Tommy points to Brian and Justin on the dance floor. "They look good together."

It's a study of opposites, of light versus dark, of the known against the mysterious. It calls to the ad man in Brian. 

"Yeah," Brian says. "They both have something we don't."

Swirling his glass of Jack, Tommy looks up at Brian from beneath the fall of blond hair. "What's that?"

"Innate rhythm." 

"I'll give you that one," Tommy snorts. 

"So," Brian says once he realizes Tommy is not going to disappear. "How long have you two been together?"

"Coming up on a year. Met while Adam was recording, the hook-ups started to multiply until we were, like, always together." Tommy gives Brian a one-shoulder shrug. "It's working for us."

"And you've managed to keep it away from the stalkers out front? I'm seriously impressed."

"It hasn't been easy," Tommy replies. "And there are days when I think it'd be better to just throw it out there instead of always watching where we are and what we're doing."

"Come out on your terms," Brian murmurs.

"Yeah," Tommy nods. "Except it isn't what any of them, any of the fans –" Tommy points towards the door "– are expecting. The fallout would be…"

"Trust me, I probably understand fallout better than others." Brian nods towards Justin. "That's the twink who wouldn't go away. Took my no repeats rule and shot it to shit in front of everyone. The twat."

"How long have you two been together?"

Brian takes a swallow of scotch then says, "Twelve years this fall."

Tommy chokes on his drink. "Jesus, fuck. Was he even legal when you two met?"

"Not like you can talk about how old someone looks, kid," Brain says. "But, yes, he was legal –" Brian smirks as he adds "– barely."

Seconds tick off and then, voice shy and quiet, Tommy asks, "Was it worth the fallout?"

"Definitely." Eyes on Justin, Brian says, "Even if it did take me a while to figure it out."

  


**∴**  


They end up closing the bar down, drinking and dancing and just having fun until the lights come back up and the club empties out. After a final sweep of the backroom, Brian and Justin leave with Adam and the band. The minute they step out into the chilly Pittsburgh night, they're overwhelmed by the screech of eager fans. Brian glares at the throng of women pushing against the barrier and snaps, "Christ. They're _still_ here?"

"Told you they wouldn't go away," Adam giggles.

"Yes, you told me." Brian rolls his eyes. Then, when Adam veers off from the group, his bodyguards following closely behind him, Brian's brow furls together. "Where the fuck is he going?"

The answer comes in stereo, all of the pocket people answering at the same time. "To sign." 

"Autographs? At fucking two-thirty in the goddamn morning?"

"It's what they've been waiting for," Tommy says, shrugging. "So he's giving it to them."

Brian looks at Tommy and then, when he's sure Tommy is watching, gives a pointed look at the distance Tommy is keeping between himself and his Brian. "All about living up to their expectations, huh? Minimizing the fallout?"

"Brian…" 

"Hush, Justin," Brian says, keeping his gaze locked on Tommy's. Slowly he arches a brow. "Your call, kid."

"Not just mine." Tommy's eyes dart between everyone there. 

The band inches closer to Tommy, closing ranks. Once Tommy is surrounded, Brian pushes his shades to his forehead and, head tilted, says, "Tommy? Babe?"

Tommy takes a step towards Brian, reaching his hand out before letting it fall back again. "Whatcha think about not hiding anymore, Bri?"

"Was just waitin' on you, boy," Brian murmurs, reaching a hand out and curling his fingers in Tommy's t-shirt. He tugs Tommy close and, wrapping his arms around Tommy, Brian leans in and kisses him. 

And for the first time that night, silence reigns on Liberty Avenue.

Smirking at the gawking crowd across the street, Brian says, "I knew there had to be a way to shut them up."

  
**∴∴∴**  


  



End file.
